When going to the beach, people tend to relax by sunbathing or swimming. However, there are some other habits that might be not beneficial for the planet. It is possible to find a considerable amount of litter, like bottles, food wraps and, above all, cigarette butts. 

Smoking is quite common while relaxing but it is not appropriate to throw the butts in the sand. This is the main reason why Thailand decided to ban smoking on 20 of its beaches, including some tourist destinations such as Samui and Krabi.

The ban took effect after inspectors found thousands of discarded cigarette butts. The Department of Marine and Coastal Resources explained that this decision does not mean people cannot smoke at all. Some areas far from the sea are going to be destined to smoking.

Those tourists who violate the ban would have to pay a 100,000 baht (£2,278)  fine and jail sentences of one year.  For the time being, the ban will affect 20 beaches, but they plan to extend it to the rest of the country. 

Cigarette Butts´Environmental Impact

Cigarette butts are considered a massive source of pollution not only on land but also in the oceans. Some research showed that around 5 trillion cigarettes filters are produced a year. Just one of them in a liter of water could kill fish.

It may take some time for people to get used to the banning and some of them might think it is not fair. But it could be understood as a starting point to become aware of pollution damages and to start taking care of the environment before it is too late.